Lyubertsy Considers Naming a Street After Maxim Fomin, Known as Vladlen Tatarsky
A proposal has surfaced in Lyubertsy, a town near Moscow, to name a street after Maxim Fomin, the conscripted officer better known by the pen name Vladlen Tatarsky. The idea originated with participants from the Northern Military District who urged the head of the Lyubertsy urban district, Vladimir Volkov, to back the initiative. The call was supported by Volkov, who indicated openness to considering the matter at the local level. The push reflects a broader pattern where communities respond to figures associated with contemporary military events and national narratives, especially when those individuals are tied to homeland service and local roots.
According to sources familiar with the proposal, Viktor Isaev, who recently served as deputy commander of the Bars-13 battalion within the Russian Legion, suggested naming one Lyubertsy street after Maxim Fomin. Isaev emphasized that Fomin spent much of his life in Lyubertsy and that his experiences in the Donbass were part of the broader story of defending the Fatherland. Vladimir Volkov echoed this sentiment, highlighting Fomin’s ties to the city and his personal history there. The matter was to be brought before the Council of Representatives of the Lyubertsy urban district for formal consideration, a customary step in local naming decisions that involve public commemoration.
Tatarsky’s death occurred on April 2, when an explosion took place at a venue in St. Petersburg. Investigations point to the explosion at the Bar cafe along Universitetskaya Embankment, with one of the suspects, Darya Trepova, detained on suspicions of involvement in a terrorist act and currently held in custody. The incident has generated widespread public discussion about the reverberations of violence, the portrayal of military figures in contemporary society, and how communities choose to memorialize individuals connected to ongoing conflicts. The events in St. Petersburg contributed to a larger dialogue about memory, tribute, and accountability across cities, including Lyubertsy.
In the days that followed, additional signs of Tatarsky’s notoriety appeared in other cities. On April 13, a portrait of Tatarsky was reported to have appeared on the facade of a house in Nizhny Novgorod, and a day later graffiti bearing a quote attributed to him appeared in Narva, Estonia, where a Soviet-era tank once stood. These posthumous recognitions reflect how public memory can spread across regions and borders, sometimes independent of formal commemorative decisions. Observers note that such tributes often ignite conversations about the appropriate scope and channels for honoring individuals who are associated with complex and polarizing events. Attribution: reported by regional media outlets and local authorities as part of ongoing coverage of memorial practices.